Eau de Vie & Fruit Brandies Categories

Eau de Vie & Fruit Brandies Countries

About Eau de Vie and Fruit Brandies

Eau-de-vie ("water of life") is the default term in French for spirits in general, and specifically for colorless fruit brandy, particularly from regions of France, Germany and the US.

Normandy is one of the few regions in France that does not have a substantial grape wine industry. Instead it is apple country, with a long tradition of producing hard and sweet cider that in turn can be distilled into an Apple Brandy known as Calvados. The local cider apples, which tend to be small and tart, are closer in type to crab apples than to modern table apples. This spirit has its own appellations, with the best brands coming from Appellation Controlee Pays dAuge near the Atlantic seaport of Deauville, and the rest in 10 adjacent regions that are designated Appellation Reglementee. Most Pays dAuge and some of the better Appellation Reglementee are produced in pot stills. All varieties of Calvados are aged in oak casks for a minimum of two years. Cognac-style quality and age terms such as V.S.O.P. and Hors dAge are frequently used on labels, but have no legal meaning. In the United States, Applejack, as Apple Brandy is called locally, is thought by many to be the first spirit produced in the British colonies. This colonial tradition has continued on the East Coast with the Lairds Distillery in New Jersey (established in 1780 and the oldest distillery in America). Apple Brandies that are more like eau-de-vie are produced in California and Oregon.

The fruit-growing regions of the upper Rhine River are the prime eau-de-vie production areas of Europe. The Black Forest region of Baden in Germany, and Alsace in France, are known for their Cherry Brandies (Kirsch in France, Kirschwasser in Germany), Raspberry Brandies (Framboise and Himbeergeist), and Pear Brandies (Poire). Similar eaux-de-vies are now being produced in the United States in California and Oregon. Some Plum Brandy is also made in these regions (Mirabelle from France is an example), but the best known type of Plum Brandy is Slivovitz, which is made from the small blue Sljiva plum throughout Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Golden amber color. Aromas of heirloom apples, hibiscus, sweet cherry, and nougat with a round, vibrant, fruity medium body and a warming, involved, long honey on crepes and peach preserve finish. An upstanding apple brandy with layers of flavor that evolve on the palate.

Gold color. Aromas and flavors of dried and spiced pear, caramelized nuts, and pepper with a soft, dryish light-to-medium body and a tingling, stimulating, breezy finish with notes of apples in cream, delicate spice, minerals, and oak finish. A pleasant, easy drinking Clavados with good versatility.